A House Divided and the Hills They Died On: Hussite Factions and the Hussite Wars

A House Divided and the Hills They Died On: Hussite Factions and the Hussite Wars

3MT - Three Minute Thesis

This paper looks at the followers of Jan Hus – the Hussites –, which is a story of conviction, division, and violence. Jan Hus was a figurehead of the Bohemian Reformation (or pre-Reformation as it occurred a century before Luther’s Protestant Reformation), and his teachings led to reforms in the Bohemian Church, his death, and a group of followers known as the Hussites. As the Hussites faced opposition from the Crown and the Church, they began to differ in their approaches to reform. The Hussites split into moderate and radical groups who fought the Catholic Church in the Hussite Wars. Despite their differences, both factions were inspired by the teachings of Jan Hus, and the martyrdom of their leader motivated them to fight for the reform he wanted. The courage and conviction that Hus demonstrated throughout his life and his trial set an example for the later reformers who would face similar opposition and persecution at the hands of the Catholic Church. When the Hussites were threatened with Sigismund’s invasion of Bohemia, they produced the Four Articles of Prague, which outlined the foundation of their beliefs and the issues about which they agreed. The two main groups of Hussites, Utraquists (following the lead of Jacoubek) and Taborites (headed by Žižka) came together to defend their faith against the rule of Sigismund and the oppression of the Church. However, the lack of a single, central figure made it difficult for the Hussites to remain unified in persecution and interpretation of Hus’ teachings.